STEREOLAB
–
mars audiac quintet

Vinyl-reissue mit Klappcover des original 1994 erschienenen, dritten Albums. "Mars Audiac Quintet saw Stereolab beginning to shed their experimental tendencies in favor of a post-modern space-age pop. The album exudes a sophisticated cool and catchiness that helped them gain new fans while straddling the line between their experimental-rock brethren and the ascending class of pre-millennial British pop. Its also the album that put them on the A-list of underground rock bands. Arguably the bands most accessible album, Mars Audiac Quintet not only features gentler textures than any of its predecessors, but also more upbeat and hooky songs such as Ping Pong (the first Stereolab song to receive widespread video and alt radio airplay) and LEnfer Des Formes, not to mention groove-dominated tracks like Outer Accelerator and Transona Five. The album is layered with a sensual and beguiling vibe, bringing the allure of lead vocalist Laetitia Sadier to the forefront. The hints of exotica and lounge music on Transient Random-Noise Burst With Announcements are now fully explored on the mellow, marimba-driven album closer Fiery Yellow (featuring major contributions from The High Llamas Sean OHagan). The bubblegum pop of Wow and Flutter exhibits the earliest example of the bands Krautrock stylings being overpowered by an ingratiating melody. Mars Audiac Quintet is one of Stereolabs most complete attempts at bridging experimental rock and retro-pop. Future releases were at times more cerebral or more poppy, but rarely again were the two simultaneously so perfectly realized." *1972